Introduction

The chapter introduces three key themes of the book: (1) The five ‘waves’ of development of the academy sector and the political opposition to academisation. This includes some of the controversies relating to academies and MATs, as well as more ideological objections such as the charge that academies erode local democratic power. (2) The role of school governors, including the differences between governance in MATs, single academies and local authority schools. I explain how MATs have extra layers of governance, with trustees or directors overseeing key governance functions across the MAT. This typically means that decision-making powers that have traditionally stood with governors in local schools are taken away and are held at the centre of the MAT. (3) The political concept of neoliberalism, both in its broadest sense and also how it influences education policy, specifically MATs and governance. I describe some of the widely held examples of neoliberalism in education and then focus specifically on MATs and establish the evidence for them having distinctive neoliberal traits.